The purpose of the 3rd World Parkinson Congress (WPC 2013) is to address an ongoing need for worldwide dialogue on the multifaceted problems of Parkinson's disease (PD) and to propose solutions, including new approaches to research and better models of care for people with PD. The WPC 2013, to be held from October 1-4, 2013, in Montreal, Canada, is the only international meeting in the field of Parkinson's that brings the whole PD community together for high-level scientific and lay sessions. Delegates at the meeting represent neuroscientists, physicians, people with PD, caregivers, nurses, rehabilitation specialists, government representatives, and members of the advocacy community from nearly 60 countries. The four-day program highlights advancements in the science of PD and models of care for people living with the disease. Exposing researchers from the US to the scientific advancements made in other parts of the world will help them explore new ideas and build collaborations they might otherwise not have considered. Broad support and involvement from the PD community (already over 140 partnering organizations and a handful of sponsors) shows that the WPC is the right venue for these widespread groups to meet and build collaborations. It will allow and encourage interactions between health professionals, researchers, and people with PD and caregivers who might not otherwise meet. Such inter-digitation of ideas will spur new innovative research, identify potential solutions to unmet needs, advance therapies for people with PD and inspire delegates to continue their work. Forty-nine committee members, including people with PD (PwP), designed an elaborate program about unique aspects of PD to deepen the commitment of researchers/clinicians to PD research and foster research on less studied aspects of PD. The program is expected to expose PwPs and caregivers to research and increase interest in participating in clinical trials. Speakers are being invited from all areas of the PD community with sessions formatted to maximize the learning potential and dialogue, including large and moderately sized as well as more intimate workshops. The morning plenaries will look at the death of neurons, non-motor manifestations, and new views on management of PD. This will set the stage daily for further discussion in later sessions. There will be both Scientific and Living with Parkinson's posters displayed each day. Poster sessions and tours are designed to maximize interaction among the delegates. The four most outstanding posters each day in basic and clinical research, clinical therapeutics and quality of life will be presented in an oral Hot Topics session and poster tours will be held, paying keen attention to the most promising work in the field and to increase dialogue and collaboration in the community.